Breakfast is our most unpredictable time of the day for us. During the week, I tend to reach for cottage cheese & turkey for a high protein & low carb start to the day. Aria's requests include ice cream, goldfish, chocolate, cheese, oatmeal, popsicles... the list goes on. Lately she's been asking for Larabars, and will devour several of them. Emi could care less, as long as she gets to eat within 2 seconds of waking up. ;)

On the weekends, we must lose our minds because breakfast doesn't happen most of the time. We'll look at the clock, it's 11:30am. We haven't eaten anything but coffee.

So this recipe is the lovechild of two things. 1. I was determined to have breakfast Saturday morning. And it's been over three years since I've had eggs, it was time to try them again.

If you've followed along, you may know I developed a severe sensitivity to eggs while I was pregnant with Aria. It took a quite a few days of feeling the worst kind of sick, a debilitating kind of sick, to figure out that eggs were the cause. Eggs were my breakfast go-to for quick protein, and suddenly they were off the table.

Through an extensive amount of research, it's not uncommon to develop a food sensitivity while pregnant, and it can become a lifelong issue, but often times once mom discontinues nursing, her body "normalizes" in various ways and she may be able to reintroduce the offending food.

Emi has recently opted out of nursing, so the long awaited day came... and went wonderfully. I had NO REACTION! I was stoked. I had one serving per day for a couple days.. well, until the French Toast was gone. I've since had a little bit of hard boiled egg as well. Scrambled eggs, the original perp in this whole thing, is next.


Anyway, if you can eat eggs, and have a seat reserved on the sweet tooth train with me, this one's for you. We used store-bought gluten free bread (I'm dying to make some homemade bread to resemble the original, thick-cut French Toast slices of my childhood). We also had blueberries on hand, I'm sure blackberries, strawberries.. really any berry would be wonderful in this.

This comes together in 15 minutes, wrap it, toss it in the fridge, then throw it in the oven the next morning. Breakfast is served.

Ingredients: 

12 slices bread, (we chose gluten-free bread)
8 ounce package cream cheese, softened.
1 cup fresh blueberries
12 beaten eggs
2 cups milk
2 tbsp vanilla extract
1/3 cup raw honey (or maple syrup)

Steps:

1.  Lightly grease a 9*13 inch baking dish. Arrange half of the bread in the dish, layering and overlapping them as you please. Cube the cream cheese and dot throughout, I used a butter knife and spread them a bit like you'd spread peanut butter. Sprinkle the cup of blueberries over the top.

2. In a large bowl, mix the eggs, vanilla extract, milk, and honey. Pour over the bread. Cover and refrigerate overnight.

3. Remove the bread mixture from the refrigerator approximately 30 minutes before baking. Preheat the oven to 350 degrees F.

4. Cover and bake for 30 minutes. Uncover and continue baking 25 to 30 minutes until center is firm and surface is lightly browned.


I whipped up a batch of homemade whip cream to dollop on top. Perfection.

Quick, go make this, then come back and let me know what you think.. as well as any personalized additions you make, I love to hear how you make these recipes better! <3


xoxo, McKenzie

 

When we lived in Bend, our favorite Mexican restaurant, El Caporal would serve a cabbage pico with their chips & salsa.. that and a couple Perfect Margaritas and we were set!

Over the years we've only seen a few other restaurants do this, but it's one of our favorite things. Seth's been on a mission to replicated the restaurant version, so here it is.  It's simple, easy to put together and bursting with flavor. You can make it mild and fruity, or make is hot & spicy.

Make a batch, it comes together quick, and put it on everything. Seriously.

Cabbage Pico

Makes 3-4 cups

I'd love to hear your feedback and variations when you put this one together. Tag me on Instagram too ;)

If you've followed our journey for any length of time you've probably seen essential oils come up a time or two. I feel like I have to hold back a little on my posts because I seriously could write about them every. single. day.

We've been using them about a year now and they are apart of our daily life at this point. From when we wake up, they help us get out the door in one piece, oils help the girls wind down and sleep for naptime and help me focus when I need to get some work done on the computer. Those little bottles help combat the witching hour crazies and help us chill out before bed. I add them to my water for digestive support, I roll them on my wrists and over my heart for emotional support.. I've replaced things we typcially get from Costco and Target and replaced them with healthier, chemical free alternatives.. I could go on and on.

Why should you try essential oils?

Sleep Support

Tried and true, I don't skip a night without oils. We either diffuse them or apply them topically. Lavender and Peace & Calming are total game changers, we use these primarily for the girls. I love Stress Away and we'll also combine Lavender with Cedarwood for a good night's sleep. I also love adding lavender to the girl's bath, which I just discovered I will do every bath from here on out - there is a study out that states the following:

"Very young infants were given a bath with or without lavender-scented bath oil. The mothers in the lavender bath oil group were more relaxed, smiled and touched their infants more during the bath. Their infants looked at them a greater percentage of the bath time and cried less and spent more time in deep sleep after bath. The cortisol levels of this group of mothers and infants significantly decreased, confirming the behavioral data showing increased relaxation of the mothers and their infants. These findings support a body of research showing the relaxing and sleep-inducing properties of lavender aroma."*



Immune Support
Winter is hard, there are so many things going around I feel like everyone has been ill. This is actually how we got into oils in the first place. Aria had an awful cough and couldn't sleep and long story short, we were introduced to RC (respiratory care).. its an awesome blend of Eucalyptus, Spruce & Cyprus that's also great for pre-workout motivation.

Thieves & Purification are also a couple blends with incredible benefits for your immune system along with natural cleaning capabilities. We use Young Living's Thieves Cleaner and it's the only one I don't mind the girls getting a hold of, and I don't worry about chemical residues on toys, trays and utensils because of the natural, plant-based ingredients.

When I go on a meal prepping spree I diffuse Purification to cleanse the air and eliminate all the onion, garlic and food odors. I also put on on the vacuum filter, in the diaper genie, garbage cans and catbox.

Emotional Support 

Baby blues and postpartum depression hit me hard after Emerson was born. I was on medication for a period of time and everything. I can't say that oils got me off the medication - that was just willpower, but I use them to support a happy mood, less stressful and anxious mindset and use them to work on the emotional roller coaster that can come out of nowhere.

Fitness & Health

I mentioned above that RC is wonderful to use pre-workout. I apply is on my chest or neck and on the bottoms of my feet. Panaway is amazing for sore muscles, (the kit comes with a roller that you can just put on this bottle and roll it on straight!). But beyond those, Young Living offers an entire line of products geared toward heath and fitness. Cool Azul gels and creams, Deep Relief roller that you can use for any and every ache and discomfort. Peppermint is another favorite for just about everything.

On top of all of that, they say the most valuable thing we have is time. So these oils offer time through a variety of ways.

First, our health.

I read something recently that said that the average woman applies 80 chemicals to herself before she even leaves the house. 80. What are those chemicals doing? Some are hormone disruptors, others affect our skin- maybe not immediately, but over time. Other's soak in and have minimal immediate effects, but build up in our bodies. Our livers can only process so much.

So what if you can replace those expensive drugstore products, even just one or two to start.. replace them with something that your body responds to in a positive way? Something that is more bio-available for our bodies to process and use? Something that has a stronger desired effect than those things loaded with words you can't pronounce? On that note, go download the "Think Dirty" app, it's free, you won't regret it.

If you replace something that's potentially harmful with something that's better for you, that improves your health, that could in-turn improve your potential longevity right?



Years ago I used to suffer with severe migraines, debilitating migraines. I couldn't function. I worked for a couple wonderful Chiropractors at the time who would adjust my neck which helped, but they didn't go away. I saw specialists, had tests done, went through all sorts of medication that had horrible side effects, and didn't see any improvement.

During this time I started to really pay attention to my diet and what I was eating because I was also dealing with chronic intestinal upset - like every time I ate I'd be in the bathroom for an hour after.

Through a long journey of cutting out various things I learned gluten was off limits, dairy should be limited and processed food was no longer an option. As I cleaned up my diet and became mindful of what I was eating, I noticed I wasn't dealing with my migraines as often. My stomach troubles became less severe.. then I'd go days, then weeks, then months without a migraine or stomach distress. All I did was cut out the junk. I'd love to say that oils cured my migraines, but what happened was that my eyes were opened to what we consume on a daily basis. Everything is so processed and full of chemicals. Things that are by nature gluten free are no longer gluten free once they've been through a factory. Most of the food in a grocery store has items that are bodies cannot break down.

I feel like this has actually became a movement. We as people are demanding better quality, we want to know what we are eating, where it came from, what our food consumed as it's food and so on. We want real ingredients. It's a movement that's not going anywhere, so jump aboard!  This is where I get excited, because Essential Oils are as REAL as it gets, with Young Living at the forefront of pure oils.  From their distillation methods and the entire Seed to Seal process. No other company can say that. The essential oils at the store are not the same. You can't consume them or apply them to your skin, let alone use them on your children like you can with Young Living's oils.

Second, financial freedom. 

I never, ever ever ever thought I would become part of an MLM. It's like a dirty word. But before you bail, think about this - multi-level-marketing has simply taken the store concept - Say for example, Target, they have removed the physical building, the storefront, removed the overhead such as electricity, employees, benefits, etc and in place, have offered individuals like you and I to become independent distributors that they pay generously to share and distribute a product if you love it.

There is no pyramid scheme - (that's where someone orders a product and it's never delivered - that's illegal). Your growth is not stumped by anyone "ahead" of you. There's not gimmicks and schemes - there are rules and guidelines you follow just like any other business.

Now that that's out the way, I want you to know that there is through-the-roof potential to make money with essential oils. But you don't have to either. If you get a kit, there is never any obligation to pursue the business side of things. You get the wholesale discount forever if you spend $50 in a year (so just restock your favorites and you're golden!).

We've been using essential oils for a year. I've spent that time researching and getting to know a few favorites and just decided to pursue the business side just this year. Mainly because I want every home to have oils.

You can continue to take Tylenol, absolutely, but you can also try something else first. Try Panaway, a blend of Wintergreen, Helichrysm & Peppermint when you need some relief, or RC when you're under the weather.., I'm sure you'll prefer it. It's just adding to your tools as a mom, wife, sister.. caring friend.

I can be a bit intimidating and scary to try something new, but if you're ready, CLICK HERE, it'll walk you through getting your Premium Starter Kit. The value of the premium starter kit is incredible, it is the ONLY thing Young Living offers that is half off! You get the diffuser of your choice, I actually prefer the two at a lower price-point - the Dewdrop or Home (my preference), 11 (eleven!) full size essential oils, the most used and loved and the ones I can't live without. You'll also get all sorts of samples to share, reading material and Ningxia Red to try (aka super-mom fuel). If you were to buy all the oils & diffuser separately it would be over $300.. that's why the kit is such a steal!

We are launching a new website with members-only resources, and you can also view this page for more info - I'll show you all the ways to use them and be there to answer your questions. Ready! Let's do it!

PS: If you are still not sure, or have more questions, I'm an open book! Leave your questions below, or send me an email.. or leave your email below and I'll send you more details.




Studies: 

Lavender bath reduces crying and enhances sleep for babies & mamas